Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Experts reach consensus about DBS treatment for Parkinson's disease

Since the late 1990s, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be a lifeline for some patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, a cruel neurological disorder that can cause lack of control over movement, poor balance and coordination, and rigidity, among other symptoms.

14 Oct 2010

Researchers seek to end disparities in cancer, stroke care

HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report: Research has shown that there is a racial gap in breast cancer care, "with black and Hispanic women less likely to get recommended breast cancer treatments than white patients."

14 Oct 2010

Stimulating brain's nicotine receptors may eliminate side effects of Alzheimer's drug: Research

A team of neuroscientists has discovered important new information in the search for an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, the debilitating neurological disorder that afflicts more than 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Hey-Kyoung Lee, associate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Biology, and her research team have shown that they may be able to eliminate debilitating side effects caused by a promising Alzheimer's drug by stimulating the brain's nicotine receptors.

14 Oct 2010

Walking six miles per week preserves memory in old age

New research suggests that walking at least six miles per week may protect brain size and in turn, preserve memory in old age, according to a study published in the October 13, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Oct 2010

Humanitas Clinic treats first cancer patient using TrueBeam technology

A 54-year-old head & neck cancer patient has become the first person in Italy to be treated using a revolutionary new linear accelerator that can deliver radiotherapy twice as fast as conventional therapy machines. The Humanitas Clinic in Rozzano-Milan carried out the treatment last week, becoming only the third hospital in Europe to begin clinical treatments using TrueBeam from Varian Medical Systems.

13 Oct 2010

Natus announces acquisition of Medix

Natus Medical Incorporated today announced that it has acquired Medix, a leader in the development, manufacturing, and sales of devices for newborn care in Latin America. Medix, based in Argentina, manufactures incubators for use in hospital nurseries and neonatal intensive care units, transport incubators for use in ambulances and other emergency vehicles, infant warmers, and LED based phototherapy devices.

13 Oct 2010

ImmunoCellular develops ICT-107 cell-based vaccine for GBM treatment

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced that it has developed an innovative method for manufacturing the company's lead product candidate, ICT-107, a dendritic cell-based vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

13 Oct 2010

Study finds increase in hospitalizations for children due to ATV-related injuries

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are associated with a significant and increasing number of hospitalizations for children in the U.S., according to a new report by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over a nine- year period (1997-2006) hospitalizations for ATV injuries increased 150 percent among youth younger than 18 years, with important demographic variations.

13 Oct 2010

Patients with memory impairment have intact ability to hold information in mind: Research

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, led by Larry R. Squire, PhD, professor of psychiatry, psychology and neurosciences at UC San Diego and a scientist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, report that working memory of relational information where an object is located, for example remains intact even if key brain structures like the hippocampus are damaged.

13 Oct 2010

The Partnership at Drugfree.org issues statement on FDA approval of VIVITROL for opioid dependence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Alkermes' opioid dependence medication (VIVITROL) for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification is positive news for families of young adults and all those who are struggling to overcome opioid addiction. Addiction, a disease of the human brain, is a chronic illness while opioid dependence is frequently characterized by relapse.

13 Oct 2010

Genmab and Lundbeck enter agreement to develop antibody therapeutics

Genmab A/S announced today an agreement to create and develop human antibody therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with H. Lundbeck A/S. Genmab will create novel human antibodies to three targets identified by Lundbeck. Lundbeck will have access to Genmab's antibody creation and development capabilities, including its state of the art, fully automated pre-clinical antibody screening and characterization capabilities and its proprietary stabilized IgG4 and UniBody therapeutic antibody platforms.

13 Oct 2010

Kennedy Krieger Institute launches phase II clinical trial to investigate Revatio for DMD treatment

Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today the launch of a first‐of‐its‐kind, phase II clinical trial to investigate a treatment for heart disease in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

13 Oct 2010

Infection during pregnancy linked to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in fetus

A pregnant woman's immune response to viral infections may induce subtle neurological changes in the unborn child that can lead to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Research published in the online journal mBio- provides new insights into how this may happen and suggests potential strategies for reducing this risk.

13 Oct 2010

Researchers develop new therapy to overcome tissue incompatibility in kidney transplantation

Donor kidneys can be successfully transplanted even if there is strong tissue incompatibility between donor and recipient. An interdisciplinary working group headed by Dr. Christian Morath, senior consultant at the Department of Nephrology at Heidelberg University Hospital (Medical Director: Professor Dr. Martin Zeier) and Professor Dr. Caner S-sal, head of antibody laboratory in the Department of Transplantation Immunology, showed in a study of 34 sensitized high-risk patients that the success rate in these patients was not different from the success rate of patients with a low immunological risk.

13 Oct 2010

Researchers use brain imaging to differentiate pediatric bipolar disorder, ADHD

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are the first to use brain imaging to examine the effects of emotion on working memory function in children with pediatric bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

13 Oct 2010

Defect in 21st amino acid leads to progressive brain atrophy: Study

A research team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel has detected a genetic mutation resulting in a progressive disease of severe mental retardation and epilepsy beginning at infancy. The research was just published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

13 Oct 2010

Researchers find gene association between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease progression

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have found that a gene associated with the onset of Type 2 diabetes also is found at lower-than-normal levels in people with Alzheimer's disease. The research, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, The Saunder Family Professor in Neurology, and Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was published this month in Aging Cell.

13 Oct 2010

U of U researchers use MRI to diagnose autism

University of Utah (U of U) medical researchers have made an important step in diagnosing autism through using MRI, an advance that eventually could help health care providers identify the problem much earlier in children and lead to improved treatment and outcomes for those with the disorder.

13 Oct 2010

HSV1716 clinical trial for childhood cancer receives FDA grant

A clinical trial testing a genetically reprogrammed herpes simplex virus as treatment for deadly forms of childhood cancer has received a U.S. Food and Drug Administration grant to support the research.

13 Oct 2010

Alkermes' VIVITROL medication for treatment of opioid dependence

Alkermes, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved VIVITROL(naltrexone for extended-release injectable suspension) for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, following opioid detoxification.

13 Oct 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Experts reach consensus about DBS treatment for Parkinson's disease

Researchers seek to end disparities in cancer, stroke care

Stimulating brain's nicotine receptors may eliminate side effects of Alzheimer's drug: Research

Walking six miles per week preserves memory in old age

Humanitas Clinic treats first cancer patient using TrueBeam technology

Natus announces acquisition of Medix

ImmunoCellular develops ICT-107 cell-based vaccine for GBM treatment

Study finds increase in hospitalizations for children due to ATV-related injuries

Patients with memory impairment have intact ability to hold information in mind: Research

The Partnership at Drugfree.org issues statement on FDA approval of VIVITROL for opioid dependence

Genmab and Lundbeck enter agreement to develop antibody therapeutics

Kennedy Krieger Institute launches phase II clinical trial to investigate Revatio for DMD treatment

Infection during pregnancy linked to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in fetus

Researchers develop new therapy to overcome tissue incompatibility in kidney transplantation

Researchers use brain imaging to differentiate pediatric bipolar disorder, ADHD

Defect in 21st amino acid leads to progressive brain atrophy: Study

Researchers find gene association between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease progression

U of U researchers use MRI to diagnose autism

HSV1716 clinical trial for childhood cancer receives FDA grant

Alkermes' VIVITROL medication for treatment of opioid dependence

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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